FX.co ★ New Zealand Stocks Retreat from Record Highs

On Thursday, New Zealand's S&P/NZX 50 index closed down by 0.3%, settling at 13,577 after reaching a new record high earlier in the day. The market initially opened stronger, in response to overnight advances on Wall Street, driven by robust corporate earnings and positive US economic indicators. Local investor sentiment was further buoyed by the possibility of additional monetary easing from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) following the release of a disappointing employment report. Despite the strong start, the market momentum waned as selling pressure mounted across key sectors. Utility stocks were notably down, with Meridian falling 1.2%, Contact slipping 0.6%, Mercury NZ decreasing by 1.8%, Vector declining 2.2%, and Genesis retreating by 1.6%. Telecommunications companies Spark NZ and Chorus both experienced a 1.3% loss. Property stocks also lagged, with Precinct Properties, Kiwi Property, Argosy Property, and Property for Industry decreasing by 1.2%, 0.5%, 1.6%, and 1.2% respectively.